This week I've been seriously under-employed. One day of "paid" work this week and nothing for next week. And listening to way too much NPR-talk about the gloomy economy and bailouts and credit default swaps - made me revisit my thoughts on change and volcanos from last week. I reread a comment from reader JB:

from Gifford Pinchot III author of INTRAPRENEURING: Why You Don't Have to Leave the Corporation to Become an Entrepreneur:

The purpose of the economy is to support our health, wellbeing and happiness. Unless we find ways to produce substantially more happiness with far less stuff and damage, our civilization is doomed. But this is a happy task, a joint project of sustainability experts, entrepreneurs, consumers, citizens, corporate innovators, academics, legislators and policy wonks. Given that most of happiness comes from relationships and most of consumption uses stuff symbolically rather than for its intrinsic value, it won’t be hard to make 1000 fold improvements in the ratio of happiness to stuff. These innovations will often be very popular, cost-effective and profitable. In this direction lies hope and true prosperity.

Hope and true prosperity - sign me up! But what, then, I wondered, is Intrapeneuring? A quick look at Mr Pinchot's bio tells us that he has defined the ground rules for an emerging field of enterprise: the courageous pursuit of new ideas within established organizations. And he rolls this idea of working within the corporation to innovate and change in order to develop a sustainable business. Sounds like he's on to something. Maybe GM could use a bit of Pinchot's consulting help. Maybe I could use a bit of his consulting help - I wonder what he charges....

Note: Gifford Pinchot III will speak THIS WEEKEND at Green Festival San Francisco on the topic "Health, Happiness and Sustainable Business: The Happo/Dammo Ratio"